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Careless People
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2025 memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Not to be confused with Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby.
"},"oclc":{"wt":"1504756807"}},"i":0}}]}'>Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism First edition cover<br>AuthorSarah Wynn-WilliamsLanguageEnglishGenreWhistleblowingPublisherFlatiron BooksPublication dateMarch 2025Publication placeUnited StatesPages382 (first edition)ISBN978-125039123-0Online Computer Library Center number"}]]}'>OCLC1504756807
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism is a memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook (renamed Meta), published on March 11, 2025.[1][2][3] The book is a critical account of Facebook's internal culture and decision-making practices during Wynn-Williams' time there. The book is highly critical of Facebook's responses to global sociopolitical events, including its role in the Rohingya genocide and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's alleged efforts to censor on behalf of the Chinese government.[4][5] Additionally, Wynn-Williams accuses several Facebook executives, including Sheryl Sandberg and Joel Kaplan, of engaging in harmful behavior in the workplace, including sexual harassment.[6]
The book gained media coverage following reports that Meta sued to prevent Wynn-Williams from promoting the book; public backlash against Meta's response has been credited with boosting sales of the book, a result known as the Streisand effect.[7][8][9] By late March 2025, Careless People had reached number one on the New York Times best-seller list.[10] Following the book's publication, Wynn-Williams was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate, where she accused Zuckerberg of having been willing to censor content in order to gain access to the Chinese market.[11] The title of the book is a quotation from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.[a][12]
Background<br>[edit]
Main article: Sarah Wynn-Williams
Sarah Wynn-Williams is a former Facebook executive who worked in global policy and government relations. A lawyer and diplomat born in New Zealand, she worked at the company from 2011 until she was terminated in 2017.[13]
Pre-publication developments<br>[edit]
Before publishing Careless People, Wynn-Williams lodged a 78‑page complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which she accused the company of misleading investors.[5] Wynn-Williams also briefed The Washington Post, recorded an interview with journalist Emily Maitlis, and appeared on a podcast with Steve Bannon.[5]
Content<br>[edit]
Wynn-Williams in 2024<br>In Careless People, Wynn-Williams provides an account of her time at the company, discussing its approach to corporate ethics, public policy, and business strategy.[14][15]
Internal guidelines on content moderation<br>[edit]
Wynn-Williams alleged that, contrary to publicly announced community guidelines, Facebook's internal policy on content moderation established in February 2015 states that
When governments ask us to take down content that we believe should not come down, he [Joel Kaplan quoting his understanding of Mark Zuckerberg] says, it will only be taken down if one of two criteria is met:
There is a credible threat to block Facebook.
There is a risk to employees.
China censorship allegations<br>[edit]
The book and the SEC filing document attempts by Mark Zuckerberg to gain dominance in China. Wynn-Williams alleged that Facebook developed a system of censorship to appease the Chinese government as it sought to enter the Chinese market which would have subjected users in Hong Kong to censorship. A Facebook privacy staffer in 2014 proposed that "In exchange for the ability to establish operations in China, FB will agree to grant the Chinese government access to Chinese users’ data — including Hong Kong users’ data".[16]
Although Facebook developed these technologies, it eventually decided not to implement them. Academic John Naughton writes that Facebook's efforts included:[5]
developing a censorship system for China in 2015 that would allow a "chief editor" to decide what content to remove, and the ability to shut down the entire site during "social unrest"; assembling a "China team" in 2014 for a project to develop China-compliant versions of Meta's services; considering the weakening of privacy protections for Hong Kong users; building a specialised censorship system for China with automatic detection of restricted terms; and restricting the account of Guo Wengui, a Chinese government critic, after a Chinese internet regulator suggested it would improve cooperation.
Wynn-Williams accuses Zuckerberg of lying to the US Congress about the extent of efforts by...